One-Way Lung Valve Membrane Sealing Air Gaps

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing one-way lung valves face challenges in maintaining effective sealing across diverse airway sizes and geometries due to the formation of air gaps when compressed, which compromises their performance and requires multiple valve sizes for different airway dimensions.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a flexible membrane with thicker regions and stiffening members, such as fishbone or zigzag patterns on the inner surface, to alter mechanical properties and prevent air gaps, ensuring complete sealing without changing the outer surface, and is supported by a Nitinol frame with anchors for secure engagement with airway walls.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the flexible membrane is compressed to fit smaller airways, then the valve can be used in diverse airway sizes, but air gaps form in the membrane compromising sealing effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to diverse airway sizesVSAvoidsealing effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating thicker regions at specific locations on the flexible membrane, particularly at the distal end. This localized thickness variation ensures complete sealing at critical areas where air gaps would otherwise form during compression, while maintaining the overall flexibility and adaptability of the membrane for diverse airway sizes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates preliminary action by pre-forming thicker regions and stiffening members on the flexible membrane before deployment. These features are built into the membrane structure in advance, ensuring that when the valve is compressed and deployed in the airway, the sealing surfaces are already prepared to prevent air gap formation without requiring additional intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If multiple valve sizes are used for different airway dimensions, then sealing effectiveness is maintained, but device complexity and inventory requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing effectivenessVSAvoidnumber of valve sizes

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by designing a single valve size with variable thickness features that can effectively seal airways of different dimensions. The flexible membrane includes thicker regions that provide sealing across a range of airway sizes, making one valve design serve multiple functions across different patient populations and airway geometries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes parameter changes by varying the thickness parameter of the flexible membrane at different locations rather than creating entirely different valve sizes. This parameter variation within a single valve design allows the same device to adapt to different airway dimensions while maintaining sealing effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If the flexible membrane is made uniformly thick, then manufacturing is simplified, but air gaps form when compressed compromising the seal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidsealing completeness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution enhances the sealing efficiency across a range of airway sizes and geometries, reduces the need for multiple valve sizes, simplifies operator training, and maintains effective occlusion during respiration cycles, improving pulmonary function and quality of life for patients.

Implementation Method 1

The valve includes a Nitinol frame covered with a polymer membrane

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectShape memory alloy: Shape Memory Alloy

Implementation Method 2

The flexible membrane is configured to transition between a compressed configuration and an occluding configuration in the ventilatory airways

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS20220133330A1Therapeutic devices for sealing fluid passageways in ventilatory airways

Publication Date: 2022.05.05 GYRUS ACMI INC

AI summary

A one-way lung valve for sealing fluid passageways in ventilatory airways. The valve includes a frame and a flexible membrane having respective opposed inner and outer surfaces and is supported by the frame. The flexible membrane is configured to transition between a compressed configuration and an occluding configuration in the ventilatory airways. The respective opposed inner and outer surfaces includes one or more features on the inner and/or outer surface to prevent the flexible membrane from forming one or more air gaps when the flexible membrane is in the occluding configuration position.